Loose-leaf binder.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

J. B. BARLOW. LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9. 1906.

'4 Z ATT JOHN B. BARLOW, F GRAND RAPIDS, MroHiGAN.

Loose-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent; Application filed April 9, 1906. Serial No. 810,831.

smeared March 12, 1907.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, Joan B. BARLOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the-county of Kent and ,State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to new and useful improvements in loose-leaf binders; and its principal object is ,to provide simple and efficient means for holding the parts in binding position and at the same time easily releasing them. This object I accomplish by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the cover of'a book. showing thisbinding device attached. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same on'the dotted line as a: of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale and with portions broken away. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the locking-strip. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the book with an alternative form of lockin -strip and attachments. Fig. 5 is a view 0% a modified form of binding-post extension. i

The top cover of the book is represented by the numeral 1 and the bottom cover by 8. The top cover should be provided with aflexible hinge, (indicated by 2,) and the bottom cover may also have the same, if desired. Thelocking-strip 3 1s a stri preferably of thin sheet metal extending ar enough along the cover near its edge so that it ma engage with binding-posts located at suitab e points.

This locking-strip is provided near its ends with two similar parallel-sided slots 4 4. The studs 5 5 are rigidlyv and ermanently attached to the top cover and have necks extending up through the slots 4 4 and heads extending beyond the edges of the slots. They are thus formed in the process of manufacture by anyupsettmg or riveting operation which expands the heads to a width greater than the width of the slot, but does not clench the same down upon the lockingstrip. By this means the locking-strip is permitted to have a sliding motion longitudi nally of itself upon the top cover, such moti on being governed and limited by the length of the slots 4 4, and at the same time the lock ing-strip is permanently attached to the top cover and c annot accidentally fall away or be mislaid or lost.

At suitable points toward the center oft-he locking-strip from the slots 4 4 it is provided with the keyhole-slots 6 6. The arallelsided portion of these keyhole-slots s ould be in the same osition in both slots-that is to say, should'be in each case either at the upper end or at the lower end of the keyholeslot, according tothe comparative arrangement of the slots 4 4. In the drawings I have shown both of these enlarged portions of the keyhole-slots at the left end thereof.

' 7 7 represent the binding-posts. They are rigidly attached to the lower cover 8 by an suitable. means and extend of full normal d1- ameter up through the s ace designed to receive the loose leaves, w 'ch loose leaves are to be properly provided with holes in order that they may be placed in position over the bindin -posts. At the .upper edge of the space esigned for the loose leaves and at the point where the top cover is designed to be attached the diameter of these posts becomes smaller, thereby creatin a shoulder and a neck, and at a suitable 'stance this neck is again expanded into a head, which may be of the full normal diameterof the post or in certain forms as in Fig. 5,'should be of some- What less t an the full normal diameter.

The topcover is provided with suitable holes, preferably surrounded with an eyelet approximately the same length as the slots 4 1 4 and the enlarged portions thereof should be and registering with the position of these binding-posts, so that when the top cover is ut in position the heads and necks of the liinding posts will pass through these holes in the top cover and project above the same. If, however, the expanded heads of the binding-posts are of less diameter than thefull normal diameter of the post, and if, as in my preferred form, the holes through the top cover are just large enough to permit these heads to pass through, the top cover will then rest upon the shoulders of the binding-posts and W111 be thus permanently held at a short distance away from the bottom cover. This arrangement I find useful, since it permits certain looseness of the leaves at the extreme rear edgp and permits easier inspection of the same ack to the rear edge than if they were bound absolutely tightly together exerted could remove the top cover.

post ,used will not be lon enough to'leave by the loose leaves.

The locking-strip being attached-to the top cover by the rivets 5 5, it is evident that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 the top cover, through the ineans of the locking-strip, will be he (I upon the binding posts and will thereby be connected to the bottom cover, thus making a complete binding, and no ordinary amount of force directlli y T e :lockin' strip, however, maybe moved longi tudina 1y upon the cover, taking the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and thereby the expanded heads of the bindingost 7 will be made to re 'ster with the enarged o enin s6 of the eyhole-slots, and the hea locking-strip and the cover, and the cover maybe removed for the insertion or removal ofleaves: I f v g In order to cause the locking-strip to bind firmly against the under's'urfaceof the ex- "panded heads of the binding-posts 7, I cai lfie t to exert a spring-pressure thereon. simplest means of causing such spring-pressure is shown in Fig. 3, in which the binding- .strip is'slightlybent at two fpoints, so that central portions are elevated cm the cover, and if itis constructed of a spring metal it thereby becomes a spring, insuring this binding engagement, so that it will not fall or be easily jarred out of its looking with the binding post heads. show in Fi 4 another form of accomplishin such bin ing engagement. In this form 7 make the I I- sup a su lementary sprmg, as 10, of

P Y PP any suitable orm, ortions of which exert a pressure downwar ly'upon the loose leaves contained within the covers, and thereby assistin holding them in proper position, and which at thesame time thereby creates an upward spring-pressure against the cover, which is usual y somewhat flexible, and against the lockin -strip also, in this way causing sufficient inding engagement between the locking-strip and the heads of the binding-posts to prevent accidental displacement. r

In Fig.5 is shown a modified form of binding-post,whereby the same is made extensible, so that the same boek maybe used continually and become of increasing size and so that the size may be maintained in roper proportion through the upperfcover is indicated by ii,

and the neck which is engaged by the sliding Y lockin -strip is indicated by 15. The lower end 0 this post, which passes through the lower cover, is attached thereto by upsetting then pass through both the engagement This mo ified form of post eeacee vor other suitable means, as indicated by 16.

this way the binding-post can be extended, as

may be desired, and the two sections 7 and 13 become apparently one integral piece without any joint or exposed'shoulder. In event the loose leaves do not occupy the full space between the covers the spring 10will compensate for the unoccupied space and.

help to hold the covers 1 and 8 in proper relation with respect to each other, as well as produce a binding friction upon the locking strip. It is evident that the proper length of the neck 15 depends upon the thickness of the upper cover and the locking-strip which may happen to be=used, and, as shown in Fig. 5, the device is adapted to a somewhat thinner cover and locking-strip than that indicated in Fi 2.

Having 51118 described my invention, what I claim to have invented, anddesire to secure by LettersPatent, isv 1. In a loose-leaf-binding device,'the combination of top and bottom covers, bindingposts having one endconnected to onecover, andthe other end provided with a head, the other cover provided with v o enings to re- Qeive the binding-posts, a yie dable lockingstrip upon the latter cover and slid ably connected thereto,- said strip being bent onitself to form offsets and having keyhole-slots engaging at one end the heads of the bindingpos'ts and at the other end permittingsuch eads to pass therethrough. Y I

2. In a loose-l'eaf-bindmg device, the com bination of top and bottom covers, binding vposts having one end rigidly attached to the ottom cover, the top cover-provided with openings permitting the binding-posts to passtherethrou h, shoulders, necks and heads upon such bindingposts, the heads being of 'less diameter than the shoulders, and the holes in the openings on the top cover being with the heads of the binding-posts and being bent onthemselves to form ofl sets to tension the top cover with respect to the bottom cover, and means for slidably connecting the locking-strip to the top cover.

3. In a loose-'leaf binding device and in combination with the top and bottom cover,

roo-

sezoee V e;

a binding-post rigidlyettached to the bottom In testimony whereof I have hereunto set cover and having a shoulder, neok'and head,- my hand in presence of two subscribing Wii;- 10 such head being of less diameter than the full nesses.

diemeteg of the binding-post, .aod an exten- JOHN BARLOW. sum-post PIOVldBd at one end wlth a slmllar shoulder, neck and head, and at the other Witnesses:

end with means for detachably engaging the A. O. DENISON,

heed upon the main body of the post. I MARY S/TOOKER. 

